MagSafe is the worst thing Apple has made maybe ever

[Royksöpp]

I returned my MagSafe charger after it ruined my Kumquat Silicone case.

How has your Apple Case fared after using MagSafe? Is there a ring?

I've used the Kumquat silicone case with the MagSafe charger for a little over a month and unfortunately I do have the dreaded ring mark. I plan on buying a few new Apple silicone cases, but I will not be using the MagSafe charger with them. These cases are too expensive to be damaged like this...

forums.macrumors.com

I've gone back to my Native Union Drop wireless charger and I haven't even thought of MagSafe ever since.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

MagSafe for me feels like one of those features a bit like Keynote and Stocks on my iPhone that I will likely never use. Unless third party chargers start introducing magnets as standard, I won’t be paying £59 for Apples version as it’s solving a problem I don’t have. Fast charging is also something I tend to avoid in favour of battery longevity. Charging my battery quickly is pretty pointless for me seeing as my phone is plugged in at night anyway.

 

[fredriks]

I love MagSafe. I have one apple MagSafe charger in a table stand at work. One at home where I can charge and use the phone at the same time. And finally one ESR car vent holder in my car that hold my phone perfectly.

 

[QueenTyrone]

Broke down and picked one up and I regret not buying one sooner. I love it so much

 

[TechLord]

It's a first gen technology in the iPhone; I wouldn't expect it to be amazing yet. But it doesn't take away from my experience even if it isn't "great" because I didn't upgrade to the 12 for magsafe. If the 12 didn't have magsafe I wouldn't have cared. I'll stick to my 20w wired charger for now since its simply faster; but I'm sure by the time a portless phone arrives apple will introduce a better magsafe charger with higher watts and when this happens I'll consider buying one.

 

[Guillaume1]

It's a first gen technology in the iPhone; I wouldn't expect it to be amazing yet. But it doesn't take away from my experience even if it isn't "great" because I didn't upgrade to the 12 for magsafe. If the 12 didn't have magsafe I wouldn't have cared. I'll stick to my 20w wired charger for now since its simply faster; but I'm sure by the time a portless phone arrives apple will introduce a better magsafe charger with higher watts and when this happens I'll consider buying one.

To me since i got the 12 and my base pro station from nomad doesn’t work after all updates sucks. Am sure this is due all to that new magsafe on the phone. Waiting on a reply form nomad for a refund!

 

[bubulol]

I fully disagree with OP
Although i was highly doubtful at beginning, Magsafe has convinced me:

• As nightstand wireless charger, just put your phone on Magsage support and that's all. No more misalignment or trying to plug cable into iPhone in total darkness
• As car holder, it holds so freaking good no matter how you drives (bumps, potholes..), really convenient and practical, put your phone and here we go.
• Battery powerbank are released, and sooner or later, there will be plenty of accessories around Magsafe ecosystem (camera accessories, nightstand/dock...)

Of course there are some drawbacks:

• Its not really affordable (Magsafe charger costs 45 eur, maybe sightly less expensive in usd, Magsafe case around 55/65 eur...) hey guess what, that's typical from Apple, we all know it gonna be expensive tho
• It can be warm when its charging (i can say its pretty normal since even i use wired charging, iPhone can be a bit warm as well)

To sum up, i cant say its a revolutionary feature but its really convenient and practical, especially as car holder
Its expensive but you can find some cheap alternative (Ebay, Aliexpress), i have a DIY Magsafe charger (credit card form factor, removable cable), clear Magsafe case and Magsafe car holder, i only spent less than 40 bucks for all of these

 

[lordhamster]

MagSafe for me feels like one of those features a bit like Keynote and Stocks on my iPhone that I will likely never use. Unless third party chargers start introducing magnets as standard, I won’t be paying £59 for Apples version as it’s solving a problem I don’t have. Fast charging is also something I tend to avoid in favour of battery longevity. Charging my battery quickly is pretty pointless for me seeing as my phone is plugged in at night anyway.

There are already a bunch of third party chargers with magsafe-compatible magnets built in. Got a puck from Ravpower for the basement that works great (albeit 7.5w)... as well as a desk stand from Choetech that has a magsafe compatible magnetic QI charger (7.5w) plus a wireless charger for the airpods.

(Ravpower Unit). I'll post my review of this shortly

RAVPower Magnetic Wireless Charger iPhone 12 Charger, Mini Type C Wall Charging Adapter Included, Fast Wireless Charging Pad Compact for iPhone 12 Pro Max mini and AirPods Pro

RAVPower Magnetic Wireless Charger iPhone 12 Charger, Mini Type C Wall Charging Adapter Included, Fast Wireless Charging Pad Compact for iPhone 12 Pro Max mini and AirPods Pro

smile.amazon.com

(Choetech Unit). Love it for at my desk while working.

CHOETECH Mag-Safe Charger for iPhone 12, 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger Fast Wireless Charging Station iPhone Charger Stand with PD Adapter for iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro max/AirPods 2/Pro

CHOETECH Mag-Safe Charger for iPhone 12, 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger Fast Wireless Charging Station iPhone Charger Stand with PD Adapter for iPhone 12/12 Mini/12 Pro/12 Pro max/AirPods 2/Pro

smile.amazon.com

Update: Review of the Ravpower 3rd party charger (comes with 20w) power brick. Paid $26

My testing showing it maxes out at 9.3w of power draw from the wall charger, which leads me to believe this unit tops out at 7.5w

 

[inigou]

I think your reasons for it being terrible or crippled deviate COMPLETELY from the reasons I personally like MagSafe.

Qi chargers need your phone to be left alone in a pad to "wirelessly charge" which is complete BS because there is still a cable connected to that pad and your phone is UNUSABLE when in those charging pads. This to me makes Qi chargers not only pointless but overall a TERRIBLE experience. MagSafe on the other hand lets you continue to use your phone as if it was plugged in through lighting, THAT is the important part. Sure it charges slower, it doesn't have fast charging, bla b



You REALLY missed the mark on what MagSafe has going for it. The ONLY reason MagSafe is good is because you can use your phone while charging and don't have to set it on one of those pointless Qi charger pads. Sure, it does not have fast charging and things like that, but Qi chargers are THE WORST option for charging your phone, why it's even called "wireless charger" is absurd because your phone has to sit in place and be unusable with Qi chargers. For me, MagSafe is an upgrade in EVERY way to Qi chargers, except charging speed which I'm sure will get fixed later on.

I literally HATE Qi chargers and think they are an idiotic idea with great marketing, because that is NOT "wireless charging" (not claiming MagSafe is, obviously it is not WIRELESS)

But hey! Your awesome MagSafe will leave imprints in your cases AND the back of your phone. Great deal...

 

[The Game 161]

But hey! Your awesome MagSafe will leave imprints in your cases AND the back of your phone. Great deal...

And wiping it off makes it disappear....hardly an issue if it bothers the user

 

[inigou]

And wiping it off makes it disappear....hardly an issue if it bothers the user

As far as i have heard, wiping it off does not make it disappear in long term.

 

[The Game 161]

As far as i have heard, wiping it off does not make it disappear in long term.

I use MagSafe duo every night and the mark disappears when I rub it off. I leave my silcone case on most of the time and it’s not really visible. Maybe it would be an issue if people never bother to wipe their phone.

I don’t have the leather case so maybe that will be a bigger issue then say the silcone case

 

[inigou]

I use MagSafe duo every night and the mark disappears when I rub it off. I leave my silcone case on most of the time and it’s not really visible. Maybe it would be an issue if people never bother to wipe their phone.

I don’t have the leather case so maybe that will be a bigger issue then say the silcone case

Hope you are right. Is not what i have read, but for our future benefit, hope you are right. I use my Belkin 3 in 1 Qi charger instead as I don’t trust MagSafe at this point not ruining my phone finish.

 

[fredriks]

I use apple MagSafe with my silicone case and have no problems with imprint. I can easily rub it if if there is a mark.

 

[macdogpro]

Been hesitating to get a magsafe charger cable due to the heat.

But now I use the MOFT wallet so much that I’m eagerly waiting Caudabe to bring magsafe feature to their Sheath case, may current favorite case.

This makes me wonder, why haven’t we seen third party case maker bring the magsafe feature for older iPhone / Android cases?
Is the magnet on iphone 12 series’ magsafe is only magnets or does it also somewhat contributing to the wireless charging technology? Am I missing something?

The magsafe puck also enables faster wireless charging up to 15W compared to maximum 7.5W on the standard Qi wireless chargers. Is it due to the puck or the magnet on the iphone 12 series / magsafe cases also has roles in this?

 

[Spetsgruppa]

Been hesitating to get a magsafe charger cable due to the heat.

But now I use the MOFT wallet so much that I’m eagerly waiting Caudabe to bring magsafe feature to their Sheath case, may current favorite case.

This makes me wonder, why haven’t we seen third party case maker bring the magsafe feature for older iPhone / Android cases?
Is the magnet on iphone 12 series’ magsafe is only magnets or does it also somewhat contributing to the wireless charging technology? Am I missing something?

The magsafe puck also enables faster wireless charging up to 15W compared to maximum 7.5W on the standard Qi wireless chargers. Is it due to the puck or the magnet on the iphone 12 series / magsafe cases also has roles in this?

honestly i have never seen an issue with heat while using the magsafe+20W Apple Adaptor...its warm but not hot. and im using a Lifeproof Next case if it helps.

 

[macdogpro]

honestly i have never seen an issue with heat while using the magsafe+20W Apple Adaptor...its warm but not hot. and im using a Lifeproof Next case if it helps.

Warms concerns me already, even when using wired 18W Apple charger.
I use 5W only now.

Also wondering if I use lower wattage brick, it will put less heat to the puck?
By using 20W charger, the puck delivers 15W, so if I use 18W or 10W they will deliver lower wattage through the puck, correct?

 

[Spetsgruppa]

Warms concerns me already, even when using wired 18W Apple charger.
I use 5W only now.

Also wondering if I use lower wattage brick, it will put less heat to the puck?
By using 20W charger, the puck delivers 15W, so if I use 18W or 10W they will deliver lower wattage through the puck, correct?

correct.The lower watt the lower amount of heat is produced = longer charging time.I myself use the Samsung Wireless Fast Charging Stand Type on my 12 Pro Max. Doesnt really heat up as bad as the Magsafe and it has a fan in it.Not recommended but it works for me

 

[Spetsgruppa]

I fully disagree with OP
Although i was highly doubtful at beginning, Magsafe has convinced me:

• As nightstand wireless charger, just put your phone on Magsage support and that's all. No more misalignment or trying to plug cable into iPhone in total darkness
• As car holder, it holds so freaking good no matter how you drives (bumps, potholes..), really convenient and practical, put your phone and here we go.
• Battery powerbank are released, and sooner or later, there will be plenty of accessories around Magsafe ecosystem (camera accessories, nightstand/dock...)

Of course there are some drawbacks:

• Its not really affordable (Magsafe charger costs 45 eur, maybe sightly less expensive in usd, Magsafe case around 55/65 eur...) hey guess what, that's typical from Apple, we all know it gonna be expensive tho
• It can be warm when its charging (i can say its pretty normal since even i use wired charging, iPhone can be a bit warm as well)

To sum up, i cant say its a revolutionary feature but its really convenient and practical, especially as car holder
Its expensive but you can find some cheap alternative (Ebay, Aliexpress), i have a DIY Magsafe charger (credit card form factor, removable cable), clear Magsafe case and Magsafe car holder, i only spent less than 40 bucks for all of these

as car holder...try using a magsafe car holder in Jakarta,Indonesia...the phone will be on the floor in no time...the potholes and rumble stripes here are insane...

 

[lordhamster]

Native Union Drop wireless

I'm genuinely curious. What makes this better than the magsafe charger in your opinion? It is listed at $49 so the price is comparable. It looks like the size and form-factor are very similar. I understand if you are happy with the charger you already own...but your post makes it sound like you have both and prefer the Native Union one.

What makes it better? Is it that you prefer to have the puck stay put on the table? If so...wouldn't a tinly 3m command strip or non-residue dual-sided tape make them functionally identical?

 

[blairh]

MagSafe on my Belkin 3-1 charger is terrific.

I think for now it's less impressive on car dash mounts because there aren't a lot to choose from and in my experience they are very shaky during travel because they don't clamp onto the iPhone to secure it during movement.

I think MagSafe is a positive. I believe the future portless iPhone will offer a magnetic port that will be different than MagSafe itself.

 

[Htsi]

MagSafe on my Belkin 3-1 charger is terrific.

I think for now it's less impressive on car dash mounts because there aren't a lot to choose from and in my experience they are very shaky during travel because they don't clamp onto the iPhone to secure it during movement.

I think MagSafe is a positive. I believe the future portless iPhone will offer a magnetic port that will be different than MagSafe itself.

I agree, guessing something with a smart connector pin set + magnets

 

[Royksöpp]

I'm genuinely curious. What makes this better than the magsafe charger in your opinion? It is listed at $49 so the price is comparable. It looks like the size and form-factor are very similar. I understand if you are happy with the charger you already own...but your post makes it sound like you have both and prefer the Native Union one.

What makes it better? Is it that you prefer to have the puck stay put on the table? If so...wouldn't a tinly 3m command strip or non-residue dual-sided tape make them functionally identical?

I did like MagSafe, but I did not like what it did to my case. It left a permanent mark on an official Apple silicone case. Many users have the same problem. I would rather not cause any damage to future cases. The Native Union charger is a high quality Qi charger. It’s made of aluminum with a soft rubber top. Another plus of a standard wireless charger is one handed use. That’s not something you get with MagSafe. Taping it to a desk defeats the purpose entirely. If it didn’t leave a mark on cases I would have kept it. In the end it wasn’t worth it. I actually returned the MagSafe. I gave my mom my old Native Union so I used the MagSafe money to buy another Native Union. There are lots of deals on eBay, so you might want to take a look if you’re interested.

 

[SisterBlue22]

Wiping the ring on my Apple silicone case definitely removes SOME of the mark that MagSafe leaves, but not all. You can still see it if you look at the right angle. That said, it's far less apparent on my Pink Citrus case than it is on my Deep Navy, and I've charged with MagSafe on the Pink Citrus case way more times than on the Deep Navy. It seems some colors are more affected than others.

 

[lordhamster]

I did like MagSafe, but I did not like what it did to my case. It left a permanent mark on an official Apple silicone case. Many users have the same problem. I would rather not cause any damage to future cases. The Native Union charger is a high quality Qi charger. It’s made of aluminum with a soft rubber top. Another plus of a standard wireless charger is one handed use. That’s not something you get with MagSafe. Taping it to a desk defeats the purpose entirely. If it didn’t leave a mark on cases I would have kept it. In the end it wasn’t worth it. I actually returned the MagSafe. I gave my mom my old Native Union so I used the MagSafe money to buy another Native Union. There are lots of deals on eBay, so you might want to take a look if you’re interested.

Fair enough. The marking is definitely a deal-breaker for some folks. I've not noticed any marks on my Apple Silicon case, but I also am more of a "the phone is a tool" guy not so concerned with aesthetics.

As for the one-handed use. I have several magsafe chargers and have no issues with one-handed use. I've not found it to be a problem. If I want to use the charger (unmodified, unmounted, untaped) out of the box, I just curl my fingers around the back and give it a nudge to pop it off.

I'm confused about your statement "Taping it to a desk defeats the purpose entirely." The way I see it there are two types of magsafe users. Those who want the puck to pick up with the phone, and those who want the puck to stay stationary. If you either tape it to the desk or get a little "mount" like the Spigen Magfit... but if you do that, the usability of the Magsafe puck becomes identical to your stationary Nomad mount. Only difference being is that it is a bit easier to align for perfect charging every time (subjective). What "purpose" are you referring to being defeated?